Cleaning up after Others
by 120shadowlev27
Summary: Slight AU. A Bond of the Heart and Hand Part 4. After Night of the Chimera's Cry, Brigadier General Grand punishes Ed for his insubordination beyond reason. Mustang is left to clean up afterwards. Warning: contains spanking/abuse of child/teen.


Full Metal Alchemist  
>A Bond of the Heart and Hand Part 4<p>

This is a slight AU that follows the same plot line as the FMA, but with the alteration that Roy Mustang regularly administers spankings to Edward out of care.  
>WARNING: If you have issues with the spanking of a childteenager, then do not read. This has nothing to do with sex, but with the parental administration of discipline that would have been both timely to the era and helpful to the kid. I don't condone spanking as a punishment for children in real life, but I don't really see Ed completely as a child, even if he's twelve. Again, if you have issues with this, do not read it.

This section follows the events of Night of the Chimera's Cry. This is not a discipline story, but about abuse of power and of a child.

Also, I know that it's not generally considered abusive to spank with a belt, but the extent to which Ed is beaten is abusive in terms of this story.

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><p>As Edward strode away from Mustang's hard, yet logical words that he really didn't want to hear at the moment, he furiously tried to scrub the tears from his face. Unfortunately, his hands were damp with rain and blood that only mixed with the tears to blur them. Striding fast out of the alleyway, he was blocked by a group of men twice his size. He hardened his heart as much as possible as he stared up at Brigadier General Grand and his faction.<p>

"You will receive disciplinary action for this, but we will keep it as quiet as possible to avoid this project getting out. I will not tolerate insubordination and destruction of property," the Brigadier General growled, "Take him to my office."

Ed shook his head as Al moved forward. He didn't want to deal with any bureaucracy at the moment. There was no use getting into deeper shit. There wasn't any punishment they could give him that could hurt worse than he felt now. His heart ached for the little girl and her dog. Her last hours on earth existed in painful dichotomy. Nothing could assuage this pain within his chest. He couldn't understand why all those he loved had to be harmed. Was there something wrong with him that caused those close to him to suffer? His father leaving, Winry's parent's dying, his mother dying, the mass of disfigured being that was supposed to be his mother, his brother vaporizing, his brother bound in a suit of armor, and now Nina and her painful state.

He didn't feel anything during the ride, or the wait in the large, white office. He didn't perceive anything until the General stood before him, his severe face glaring down on him.

"They have a method of dealing with insubordination and destruction quietly in the Isles where they can't afford to court marshal men. While obsolete, I figure this is the best way to keep it quiet." The General grumbled at him, reaching into a far cupboard and removing a wide, stiff leather strap. Ed blinked in surprise at it, "You are hereby sentenced to a flogging. While forty is the normal amount, I have to take in account your size and the fact that there is a portion unable to use due to the mechanical leg, so I am lessening that number. Thirty strokes with the strap and you will remain in the corner until Mustang can come pick you up as we pick up your mess. Corporal! Deliver!" The General ordered, handing the strap to a beefy looking soldier with hardened eyes. Ed observed as the man removed his coat, exposing his muscular arms before gripping the handle of the strap.

"State Alchemist Edward, remove trousers and underclothing to ankle height, spread legs to shoulder width, and bend over the desk to receive the ordered flogging. Clasp the edge of the desk and do not move from position," the corporal ordered. Edward turned his back to the spectators and unfastened his belt, letting his wet clothing fall to the floor. Exposure made him feel alone, so lonely, and he made his heart harden against those pains. You deserve this, he thought to himself, you shoulda realized it sooner. You could have saved her. He spread his legs and bent over, committed not to scream. He hadn't undergone auto mail surgery for nothing.

The strap made its noise first, a hiss and whack, followed by burning pain branding into his hindquarters. His fingers gripped the wood tightly. The man was using the full strength of his arm behind the strap. The second stroke hit right below it, and continued down each leg to his knee and where his flesh ended at his auto mail leg. He was small enough so that only six could fit on the first pass. His entire lower rear half emblazoned with pain and had turned a bright, crimson red already. The strap started its path on the same route as before, but on previously marked flesh. Edward's shoulders tensed and he barely breathed, but his lip remain clenched bloodily between his teeth as he took the strapping. Nina's face and the bloody gore was all he could think of. The second pass of the strap on the tender spot in the crease of his buttocks and thighs had him jerk forward, the biggest reaction he had thus far.

The corporal stared at the child's backside after the second pass. It had taken on an unearthly red, bruises had started to crop up and welts began to swell. The emotion in the room had gone from enjoyment that the prodigal brat was getting his comeuppance to discomfort as they watched what was really a child receiving a brutal adult punishment in silence.

The corporal swung the strap for the third round, and garnered some reaction from Edward. His legs and arms shook in strain. Beads of blood gathered on his abused skin and purple marks formed where the third overlapped stroke marked. By the time the twentieth stroke was delivered, his legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees on the floor, his entire body quaking with effort to remain silent. He tried to stand upright, but fell twice on stiff legs.

The General, who was sensing his staff shifting and moving about more and more with discomfort, held his hand out. The child's backside was clearly beyond any limit for normal punishment. He had forgotten he was dealing with just that, a child, and his staff were watching. He also had forgotten that there was usually training for dealing this sort of punishment, not the simple handing over of the strap to the person with the largest arm to wield full strength blows.

"That is enough for now," the Brigadier General grumbled, knowing that forcing his staff to continue would be the end of him, "You may have two minutes to compose yourself and get into the corner. Mustang is on his way, we have other matters to attend to."

Edward stood on shaking legs, pulling his pants to hide his front, and hobbled to the corner. His skin alternated between intense pain and numbness. He couldn't move but stiffly. He found the corner and braced his forehead on the corner. He hoped that Mustang wouldn't want any piece of his hide after this mess. His brain left out the reasoning that Mustang had never ever hurt him like this.

Mustang hurriedly burst into the room less than ten minutes later, looking around for his charge. When his eyes landed on the sorry blond in the corner and the sorry state of said blond's bottom and legs, he almost had a conniption. Instead, he rushed over to the boy's side and knelt.

"Ed, Ed, are you ok?" Mustang asked hurriedly, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Hughes stumbled in the door and swore at the boy's backside.

Ed turned slowly from the corner, gold eyes brimming with unshed tears. He shook his head. Mustang pulled off his glove and reached out, tenderly touching the boy's face.

"Let's get you out of this place," Mustang murmured, "Can you walk?" Ed shook his head.

"Sentencing a teenager to a penal flogging, who the fuck thought that was ok?" Hughes asked, his heart going out to the kid. Mustang shook his head as he shucked his jacket and wrapped it around Ed's waist, being careful about not putting contact on his skin. He was not entirely successful, brushing some of the abused flesh and garnering a hiss. He swept the kid up into his arms as carefully as possible.

"Let's get him to my office," Mustang murmured and rushed through the hallways of the office building. Ed clutched at his white dress shirt. Luckily, it was late and there were few people to gawk at the prodigy being born away in the arms of Mustang, pants hanging off his ankles and coat wrapped around his midsection.

Once in the office, Hughes went around and closed all of the blinds, locking the door and turning the light on as Mustang carried Ed to the leather couch in the center of the room.

"First aid is in the bottom drawer, and could you grab some icebags from the freezer in the corner," Mustang said as he sat carefully on the couch and slowly maneuvered Edward to balance over his knees. The position had Edward come alive for the first time since he had found Nina, igniting some base sense of terror.

"Please, no more, no more!" he struggled frantically, knocking the coffee table over and making Hughes rush over with the first aid kit in hand to help restrain him, "I'll be good, just no more, I can't take it, M'stang,"

"Shhh, shhhh, it's ok," Mustang whispered softly, "I'm not going to spank you. Not with you in this condition. This is just the best way to treat you." His hand ran along the back of the kid's shirt, frowning at how wet it was. They hadn't even let him change out of his wet clothes. Mustang frowned and felt Ed's skin, noting how chilled and clammy it was. He carefully eased the pale teen out of the shirt, wondering what he could do about getting him warm.

Hughes solved the problem after dropped the icepack within range and hurriedly whispering to one of his underlings to grab the spare clothes and towels in the emergency gear. The underling hurried off.

In the meantime, Mustang pulled the sodden boots and pants off of the boy, artfully draping his coat over him so as to let him have some dignity, careful not to jostle him. Edward was sedate comparatively. The underling handed Hughes the clothing and left abruptly. They both toweled the damp alchemist off and dressed him in the enormous and baggy T-shirt. Mustang skipped over the pants, sure that they would only hurt Ed worse.

He got into the repairing part at last. The soldier spread soothing cream over the welts, bruises, and redness all over the boy's backside and legs, and received hisses despite how careful he was. When the cooling agent began to kick in, as proof by how chilly Mustang's fingers felt, Ed shuddered beneath his ministrations and let out a ragged breath. Carefully, Mustang shifted over to sit on the couch more fully, draping Ed over so that he could rest his legs and torso on the couch. Hughes carefully lifted Ed's torso and settled down next to Mustang with a towel to squeeze the wet hair dry. Ed began to drowse, exhausted physically and emotionally from the events of the day.

"Where's my brother?" Ed finally asked. Hughes smiled lightly.

"He's with my wife and little girl at the house," Hughes murmured and petted the shoulders and back resting on his lap, "I'm going to leave you and Mustang in a few minutes, but I just need to get your statement on what just happened to you. I'm writing it up regardless of how quiet they want everything to go."

"Please don't," Ed murmured quietly, "I don't want to make a big deal out of this. I don't want others to know."

With a sigh, Hughes nodded and patted his back, gently shifting out from underneath him again and moving to leave the room, pausing to drape a blanket over Ed's torso.

As Hughes left, Mustang gently placed the ice packs over the abused skin. Ed almost screamed at the feel of the ice against his throbbing skin. A hand petted through his hair as the ice settled around and began to numb the skin. He shuddered again, feeling hot tears leak out the sides of his eyes. The images of Nina began to swim through his mind again. Ed tried to remain silent, but his sobs became too powerful for him to hold back.

Mustang blinked in surprise and pulled the ice away when the boy began to sob quietly in utter anguish. Carefully, he righted the Edward and looked into him. Golden eyes were wide with momentary surprise, but behind the surprise was pain. Mustang sighed. The twelve year old had lost the closest thing to family besides his brother and himself. He carefully pulled the boy into his arms, stroking the softly sobbing form of his young pledge

"It's alright to grieve, that wasn't what I was strict about earlier," Mustang murmured, "Just remember your promise to yourself."

Ed sobbed into his arms, but made no other indicator that he had heard Mustang. The officer let it go, but couldn't help the nagging feeling in his stomach.

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><p>Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed it, please let me know by reviewing.<p> 


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